Denise Richards lies to her kids when she is going on a date.

The former model - who has two daughters, Sam, six, and Lola, five, with ex-husband Charlie Sheen - admitted she tells the girls she is going on a business trip when really she is out meeting men.

She said: "When I go on dates, I tell Sam and Lola I have a meeting."

The 39-year-old beauty also confessed she has a "soft spot" for unwell and injured animals, and is currently looking after three canine cuties.

She added to Us magazine: "I have a three-legged dog, a blind dog and one with terminal cancer. I have a soft spot for hard-to-place animals!"

Despite not always being truthful about her romantic liaisons, Denise recently explained she likes to be a "hands-on" parent to Sam and Lola, as they are always her number one priority.

She said: "I'm definitely a hands-on mom. For me it's about priorities, and my girls always come first. I look at it as having a harmonious house more than balancing - it's never quite balanced!

"I have a rule - I won't introduce my girls to anyone I'm dating unless it's very serious."